the great battle
by darkluv
Summary: “What's your name?” kagome stares at him but doesn't answer. inuyasha becomes aware, for the first time, that he's covered in blood. He wipes a hand across his face. kagome looks about the tent, as if searching for a way out. “You're safer in this tent
1. Chapter 1

**ok this story is nothing like the story line its all different but i can promise you all this it will be good and i hope i know you will like it and ifyou dont im sorry and i'll try harderto satisfie any questions at all feel free to ask because i will awnser them in the best way i can**

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A thing mangy dog gallops through the field sniffing the ground, at first the scene seems peaceful tall grass, patches of wildflowers, blue sky above. But as the dog keeps running signs of conflict start to show, a spear half imbedded in the earth, rises at an angle, a bronze helmet cracked and covered in blood the dog continues his search and finally he stops, the fur on the dogs back started to raise and he started to growl, his ears perked up as he see a dozens of crows, they squabble and peck , clustered around something on the ground.

The dog started to growl louder and charged at the crows. The black birds flap away to safety, shrieking in protest as the fled. A dead soldier lays face down in the mudd, what ever armour was know ripped off leaving his body to the elements.

The dog walks slowly to the dead man sniffing his hands wines and states to lick his bloody fingers.

But soon stopped as something in the air disturbed the dog, he looked up and could hear a faint sound of hoof beats and chariot wheels, marching men and the clank of bronze armour and weaponry.

The scared dog runs off abandoning his dead master.

The cat demon army five thousand strong demon's storm into the valley from the south armoured with bronze breastplates, helmets and shields, the soldiers glittered in the morning sun. Riding alongside the infantry are dozens of horse drove chariots each holding a spearman and an officer.

On the opposite side of the valley, three thousand dog demon soldiers march into view. They are less disciplined and there armor and weaponry less impressive but very high in strength.

When the two army's reach the battlefield they stop and stare one another down, two hundred yards away.

Two of the demons emerge from their respective sides and meet at the center of the field.

The two kings stare at each other for several seconds.

The dog king looks up into the sky and smiles watching the crows wheel overhead, cawing

"it's a good day for the crows" the dog king says smiling

"I told you yesterday and I'll tell you again today. Remove your army from my land"

The dog king smiles again and this time examines the valley.

"I like your land….I think we will stay… I like your soldiers too. They fought bravely yesterday. Not well, but bravely" the dog king said smiling

"they will never fight for you" the cat king said giving a dirty look.

"that's what every other said but now all of them are fighting for me" he said smiling.

"you cant rule the world that is for the gods to do"

"I don't want to rule the world I just know what I want" the dog king said turning back.

"I don't want to watch another massacre lets end this war in the old manor….your best fighter against my best fighter" the dog king says turning back to the wolf king.

"and if my man wins" the cat king said smiling.

"we will leave for good" the dog king said smirking hiseyes having mischief bounce around in them glowing in the morning sun.

"Boragruis!" the cat demons step aside and a giant cat demon emerges from there men.

A foot taller then the other demons, his face gouged with old knife scares marched out to his king.

"here is my champion" the cat king said smirking as the dog kings eyebrow raised as the giant got closer.

"inuyasha!" but know one came, the dog demons started to murmur looking for inuyasha.

The dog king frowned.

"boragruis has this effect on many heroes" the cat king said smirking.

"be careful whom you insult old king" the dog king said still frowning

Just then a demon came through and bowed to his king.

"inuyasha is not with the army" he said looking at the demon who has come forth to him.

The cat king chuckled as he looked up at boragruis who chuckles with his king.

"where is he!" the dog king furious

"I have sent a boy to get him" he said

A horse gallops with a boy through the forest and soon sees a camp coming close.

The boy rides into the camp. Scores of tents stand on the banks of a river. The only men around are cooks tending fires and armorers, mending armor and weapons. The boy dismounts at one large tent in the corner of the camp. He pulls open the tent flap and steps inside.

The boy pauses for a moment inside the tent, eyes adjusting to the dim light. Evidently last night was a wild party. Jugs of wine are everywhere, and the remains of a large feast.

Sleeping on a fur rug is a dog demon with silver hair and golden eyes with nothing on head stuffed in his pillow. The boy sidesteps shards of a broken jug. He bends to tap the sleeping man's shoulder.

Before his fingers make contact, a hand shoots out, grabs his wrist, and pulls him to the rug. The boy finds himself flat on his back with a dagger to his throat.

The boy stares into the eyes of inuyasha who seems to have barely moved.

"I was having a good dream" he said whispering "a very good dream" he said glaring

The boy nods, dumb with fear. inuyasha has the lean, efficient physique of a boxer. His face and body are dark from a summer spent in the sun.

"the…king…sent me…he said" but the boy was cut off

"I'll speak with your king in the morning"

"But my lord ...it is morning"

inuyasha frowns. Stood up and walked naked to the tent flap, and held it open and stares at the empty encampment.

"there waiting for you" the boy said.

Inuyasha looked at him and soon turned to his clothes that where hanging and wrapped his red kimono on and took his sword and stuck it in his side rope.

"Are the stories about you true? They say your mother is an immortal goddess" the boy said looking at inuyasha.

"they say you cant be killed" the boy said

"then I wouldn't be packing a sword now would I"

"Thecat demon you're fighting…he's the biggest man I've ever seen." the boy said watching inuyasha stand outside and stretch.

"I wouldn't want to fight him"

"that's why no one will remember your name" and runs off leaving the boy standing alone.

When inuyasha reached the field the soldiers cheered and called his name as he stop's running and walks calmly over to the king.

"Perhaps we should have our war tomorrow, when you're better rested?"

Inuyasha ignores the king and examines the giant.

"I should have you whipped for impudence"

"Who's giving the whipping?" He walks toward the dog king fingers curling over the hilt of his sword. Nestor slides in between inuyasha and the king.

"Inuyasha" Nestor said.

Inuyasha's nostrils flared, eyes narrowed, stares at the king. Neither man is willing to turn away.

"Why don't you fight him yourself? Wouldn't that be a sight, a king who fights his own battles?" inuyasha hissed.

"inuyasha" inuyasha finally turn's and looks at nester

Look at the men's faces.inuyasha surveys the faces of the battle-weary soldiers

"You can save hundreds of them. You can end this war with a swing of your sword. think how many songs they'll sing in your honour. Let them go home to their wives" he said 

As the dog king glares at inuyasha undisguised hostility.

"Of all the warlords loved by the gods, I hate him most." the king muttered to nester.

"we need him…my king"

"for now"

When inuyasha was forty yards from the giant, Boagrius turns to his army and shakes his spear over his head. They cheer, slamming their bronze swords against their bronze shields.

hink how 

inuyasha keeps coming. He looks up at the circling crows. Boagrius turns and throws his spear. The bronze spearhead glitters in the sun, blazing straight for inuyasha.

Inuyasha lifted his arm and the spear broke on the cloth of his fire rat kimono.

Inuyasha kept coming.

Boragruis once again troughs his spear grunt as he through's it. Again inuyasha lift's his kimono up breaking the spear not harmed at all.

Inuyasha keeps coming. Boagrius unsheathes his tremendous bronze sword. He opens his mouth, lets loose a battle cry, and charges at inuyasha.

When Boagrius raises his sword, inuyasha lunges forward with terrifying speed. It does not seem possible that he could close the gap between them so quickly, but he does, thrusting his sword straight through Boagrius' breastplate Blood pumps out, pouring down the polished bronze and the giant topples over.

The dog demon army erupts with exultant victory cries. inuyasha now stands in front of the massed demon troops. He searches from face to face. None of the soldiers are willing to make eye contact with him. Finally the cat king steps out of the ranks.

"who are you?"

"inuyasha, son of a great dog demon" inuyasha said proudly but with a stern look on his face.

"inuyasha. I won't forget the name" offers inuyasha the heavy gold scepter.

"The ruler of the this land carries this scepter. Give it to your king."

"he's not my king" and inuyasha walked off to the west away from the two armies.

And the soldiers watched him leave in silence.

* * *

The inlet ends in a natural harbour where several tall- masted warships are beached, sails unfurled, oars locked and rowing benches empty. Dozens of smaller fishing boats are scattered about the harbour.

On top of the highest hill, overlooking all the dog kings land, stands a thick-walled palace. Torch-bearing sentries, wearing plumed helmets and carrying long spears, man their posts.

"Princes of the wolves, on our last night together, Queen sango and I salute you." the dog king said looking at his wife.

king of the dog demons land, stands at the head of a massive table that spans the length of a hall lit by torches. A battle-scarred warrior. The dog king is already halfway drunk.

Beside the dog king sits his wife, sango , wearing a white gown, head bowed, half listening to her husband. Fresh flowers are woven into her hair. Her beauty is so extreme she seems to exist in a separate realm.

The only woman in the room and the only one wearing white, Sango shines amidst the unwashed warriors of the dog kings land and the wolf kings land. All sit at a table laden with platters of roasted game birds, whole fish, octopi, suckling pigs and bowls of fruit.

The dog king holds his gold wine goblet in the air, toasting his honoured guests, koga and miroku . koga is not the best-looking man in the room, nor the largest, but the intensity of his expression, the regality of his bearing, confirms that he is a born leader. miroku is the best-looking man in the room, by a long shot. He's not paying attention to the dog king. He's staring at sango.

"We've had our conflicts before, it's true. We've fought many battles, the dogs and wolves. And fought well!" the dog king practically yelled.

dog soldiers cheer drunkenly. For a moment sango looks up and meets miroku's gaze.

"But I've always respected your father. he is a good man, a good king. I respected him as an adversary, and I respect him now as my ally."

Even more dog demons cheering, this time from the entire assembly.

"koga, miroku, young princes, come, stand, drink with me." koga stands, but miroku does not. He's still staring at sango. koga nudges his brother's shoulder, And miroku stands.

"Let us drink to peace". koga nods to the dog king and raises his cup.

"Peace between wolves and the dogs."

The king and the princes drink deeply and slam their empty cups to the table.

"May the gods keep the demons in the hills and the women in our beds" All the men in the hall cheer and rise to their feet.

"To the dogs and the wolfs!" the guests yell

A band of musicians strike up their instruments; servants roam the hall filling goblets with wine.

polydora, one of sango's handmaidens, leads a dozen attractive young women into the banquet hall.

The warriors howl at the sight of the women. Soon each of the handmaidens is flanked by drunken soldiers.

The dog king grabs koga in a bear hug. koga gamely accepts the embrace. When the king releases him, both men spill a few drops of wine from their cups onto the floor.

They drink the rest of their wine. The dog king grips koga's upper arm. servants refill the cups.

"A strong arm. Thank the gods we made peace … I've seen too many of my men struck down with this arm."

"never again I hope" koga said

Only one man works a sword better than you. The son of a great dog demon the Argonaut.

"inuyasha" koga finished his sentence

"That madman would throw a spear at Zeus himself if the god insulted him."

The dog king indicates Polydora, who stares at koga openly.

"You see that one over there? I picked her just for you. She's a little lioness."the dog king chuckled.

The dog king grins at the girl, who lowers her eyes and smiles. Sango notices this silent exchange but ignores it, conversing instead with another handmaiden who sits beside her.

"Thank you. My wife waits for me in my land." koga said

"My wife waits for me right there." He leans forward to whisper conspiratorially in koga's ear.

"Wives are for breeding. You understand? For making little princes. Come, enjoy yourself tonight."

Sango stands and walks out of the reception hall. He dog king does not notice. But koga does. He raises his cup to the dog king.

You make excellent wine in your land. The dog king laughs and drinks with koga. miroku excuses himself from the dog generals he's been speaking with and heads outside… in the same direction as sango. koga watches with mounting agitation.

The room is lit by a dozen tall candles. sango removes the flowers from her hair and drops them into a bowl of water. She hears a sound and looks up. Miroku stands in the doorway. For several breaths they are silent, staring at each other.

"you shouldn't be here" sango said watching him close the door behind him.

"that's what you said last night" miroku said.

"last night was a mistake" she said

"iv made many mistakes this week" she said as miroku approaches her.

"Do you want me to go?"

His hands are on her now, sliding down her bare neck, down her back, resting on her hips. His mouth is very close to her ear. And sango closes her eyes.

"yes…" she said whispering

miroku kisses her neck, her ears, sango's eyes still closed. The tightness you saw in her face when she sat by her husband's side is gone, replaced by ecstasy.

"where should I go?" miroku whispered

She kisses him back now and there's a hunger in her kisses, something close to violence in her desire. She lifts off his tunic and pulls him nearer.

"away…far away" she whispered again.

In a moment the white gown slips to her feet. miroku stares at her naked body in wonder. He opens his mouth to speak but she kisses him full on the lips. And they sink onto the bed.

As more and more wine gourds are emptied, the scene grows rowdier. An impromptu choir of dogs and wolf soldiers drunkenly sing battle songs.

Polydora sits on the dog kings lap. She whispers in his ear while he laughs and drains another cup of wine. koga sits nearby, half engaged in conversation with several dog generals. He's clearly not happy that his brother's still missing.

sango lies naked on her bed. In the candlelight her flanks are mapped with copper trails of sweat. She watches miroku who stands bedside pulling on his clothes.

"I have something for you." From his tunic he pulls a necklace of baby pearls threaded with silver. He sits beside her in bed.

"Pearls from the sea of my land." Miroku said as he strings the pearls around her neck.

"there beautiful…but I can not wear them….my husband will kill both of us"

"don't be afraid of him"

"I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid of tomorrow, watching you sail away and knowing you'll never come back." She said as she runs her fingers across his jaw line.

"Before you came to our land I was a ghost. I walked and I ate and I swam in the sea, but I was a ghost."

"You don't have to fear tomorrow." sango watches him, unsure what he means.

"come with me" miroku said as they stared at each other for a long moment into each others eyes.

"Don't play with me, prince of the wolves. Don't play. " she said looking at him

The sounds of footsteps and laughter outside the door startle them. miroku halfway unsheathes a knife hanging from his belt. Whoever's walking by the door passes without stopping. miroku sheathes his knife, kneels beside the bed and takes her hand.

"If you come we'll never be safe. Men will hunt us and the gods will curse us. But I'll love you. Until the day they burn my body I will love you" miroku said very deep

Sango stares into miroku's eyes, contemplating the impossible.

A group of wolf soldiers lies on goatskins and furs around a bonfire built in the middle of the courtyard. Some sleep; some continue to drink and sing old war songs. koga stands by the fire, conferring with ginta a captain of the elite wolves Guard.

"Make the proper offerings to Poseidon before we sail. We don't need any more widows in Troy."

"goat or pig koga?"

"which does the sea go prefer"

"I'll wake the priest and ask him." ginta said smiling and bowing before he took his leave.

koga sees miroku slinking past the bonfire, sneaking toward his quarters.

"miroku!" miroku turns ,smiles and waves, acting as if he hadn't seen koga before.

koga ambles over to join his brother.

"You should get to bed. We won't sleep on land again for weeks." koga said putting his hand on his shoulder.

"I have no trouble sleeping on the seas. The sea nymphs sing lullabies to me."

"And who sang lullabies to you tonight?"

Miroku freezes for a moment but quickly regains his poise.

"Tonight? Tonight was the fisherman's wife. A lovely creature."

"I hope you didn't let the fisherman catch you."

"He's more concerned with the fish."

Miroku smiles and starts to walk away but koga holds him back.

"you do understand why we are here?"

"for peace.."

"And you do understand that the dog king, is a powerful man? And that his brother, is a King , commands all the Greek forces?"

"What does this have to do with the fisherman's wife?"

koga seizes miroku's face between the palms of his hand. Not a violent gesture, exactly, but not gentle, either.

"miroku. You're my brother, and I love you. But if you do anything to endanger us I'll rip your pretty face from your pretty skull." koga said smiling and kissing his brothers forehead.

"get some sleep we sail in the morning."

miroku, a bit shocked by the encounter, stumbles away.

The wolves ships sails over the waves. On the decks the winds are strong Nobody needs to row. Sailors tend the sails or play dice. koga stands in the bow, leaning against the rail, whittling a wooden lion. And miroku joins him.

"A beautiful morning. Poseidon has blessed our voyage." miroku said

Koga looked up into the sky for a moment.

"Sometimes the gods bless you in the morning and curse you in the afternoon."

Miroku watches his brother work the wood. When miroku speaks again his tone is more sober than before.

"do you love me brother?" miroku said

koga rests his knife on the deck and smiles.

"what have you done now?"

I need to show you something. miroku walks toward the staircase leading inside the ship. koga watches him for a few seconds and then follows.

Miroku pauses in front of his cabin door.

"before you get angry with me…"

"open the door."

Miroku opens the door. Sango wearing a hooded robe, sits on the edge of a hammock, swinging slightly. She stands. And koga stares at her in disbelief. He turns and glares at miroku.

"If you weren't my brother I'd kill you where you stand."koga growled

"koga…" miroku said but koga was already out the door

And then sango looks at miroku.

"we'll never have peace."

"I don't want peace…I want you" He kisses her ...a desperate, hungry kiss, the two of them against the world …then turns and follows his brother.

* * *

the dog king, followed by ten soldiers, storms into sango's room.

He finds Polydora polishing the queen's jewellery. The king grabs her arm roughly. Terrifying her.

"where is she" he spits

"who my king?" she said calmly.

The king draws his sword

"I swear by the father of the gods I'll gut you here if you don't tell me." he growled death in his eyes.

The handmaiden tries to speak but no words come out. Fortunately for her, hippasus, a royal advisor, enters the room at that moment followed by an old fisherman.

She left with the wolves, my king. The dog king stares at Hippasus, who swallows and gestures at the fisherman. The fisherman looks as if he'd rather be fishing.

"the old man saw her board there ship"

The king releases the handmaiden and stares at the fisherman.

"the wolves?"

"with the young prince miroku she…"the fisherman was cut off when the king lifted his hand. And the fisherman shuts up.

Everyone watches the king, waiting for an explosion, but the news…strangely…seems to focus him.

"get the ship ready"

* * *

koga walks quickly toward the stern, with miroku right behind him. The pilot mans the rudder.

"turn us around we need to go back"

"wait…wait" miroku said as koga spins on his brother

"you fool!" koga pointed

"listen to me"

Koga shoves his brother backwards. The older brother's physical power is obvious. sailors watch in awed silence.

"Do you know what you've done? Do you know how many years our father worked for peace? How many brothers and cousins he lost on the battlefield?" koga spat

"I love her…"

The muscles in koga's jaw bulge against his cheeks.

"Say another word and I'll break your arm. This is all a game for you, isn't it?" koga said even more angry.

"You roam from town to town, bedding merchants' wives and temple maids - - you think you know something about love? What about your father's love? You spat on him when you brought her on this ship. What about love of your country? You'd let our land burn for this woman!" koga said his angry riseing.

miroku starts to speak but koga raises a warning finger.

"I wont let you start a war for her"

"may I speak…What you say is true. I've wronged you. I've wronged our father. If you want to bring sango back to the dogs, so be it. But I go with her."

"they will kill you"

koga laughs bitterly. He grabs the collar of miroku's tunic.

"That sounds heroic to you, doesn't it? To die fighting. Tell me, little brother, have you ever killed a man?"

"no…"

"Have you ever even seen a man die in combat? "

"no.."

Koga's face is flushed with anger. miroku tried to look away but koga wouldn't let him.

"I've killed men, brother. I've watched them dying, I've heard them dying, I've smelled them dying."

"There's nothing glorious about it, nothing poetic. You think you want to die for love, but you know nothing about dying. You know nothing about love." koga countined

"All the same, I go with her."

koga releases his brother. And stares at the sea.

"I won't ask you to fight my war."

koga shakes his head, still staring into the waves.

"You already have."

For a long time koga is silent. Finally he turns to the pilot, who awaits the prince's command.

"lets get home" and koga walks away from his brother.

* * *

like?like? dont forget to read and review please and thank you . o and if u are a shamen king fan you shoud check out (gift-of-the-elves) shes a great writer warning: she write stories with ren and horo couple but trust me its great. 


	2. Chapter 2

**ok well this story to some people might be confusing...but i dont know how because some people o showed it to loved it...but anywho its alright and once you get more into the chapters you will understand...and the story is i guess mostly about how the dog demons one the wolves land and to the people who want to know where kagome just read and you will find out. well any questions feel free to ask and ill try to awnser them in the best way i can **

**LOVE YOU ALL! MUAH here have some popcorn and enjoy!**

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Three war ships are anchored at the shores. The dog king along with some others climbs the long stone staircase that leads to the walled city, a citadel hewn from the hilltop rock. 

The dog king and his followers enter the throne room. Treasures from various conquests fill the room, statuary and urns and intricate gold work. Armed guards stand at their posts.

Only Naraku is seated, on a beautiful throne carved from solid oak. Two robed nobles are addressing him when the dog king enters…they move away as they approach.

Naraku stands. And the two kings embrace.

Your messenger came two days ago. I know what happened. The dog kings face darkens, his rage barely submerged.

"I want her back" he hissed.

"Of course you do. She's a beautiful woman."

"I want her back so I can kill her with my own two hands. I won't rest until I've burned the wolves to the ground"

"I thought you wanted peace with the wolves" naraku said smiling.

"I should have listened to you"

"Peace is for the women and the weak. Empires are forged by war."

"All my life I've stood by your side, fought your enemies. You're the eldest, you reap the glory…this is the way of the world. But have I ever complained, brother? Have I ever asked you for anything?"

"Never. You're a man of honour. Everyone in my land knows this."

"The wolves spat on my honour. An insult to me is an insult to you."

"And an insult to me is an insult to all dog demons."

"Will you go to war with me, brother?"

The dog king reaches out his hand. Naraku looks into his eyes. Finally he nods and clasps his hands with his brother.

naraku paces the vast, torch-lit room. Nestor sits at a wooden table. Spread out on the table before him is a rough map ofthe dog demons landand environs, painted on a tanned goat skin.

"I always thought my brother's wife was a foolish woman. But she's proven to be very useful. Nothing unifies a people like a common enemy."

"The wolves have never been conquered. Some say they can't be conquered."

"I haven't tried yet Old King Priam thinks he's untouchable behind his high walls. He thinks the Sun God will protect him. But the gods only protect the strong. (points at map) If the wolves falls, I control the wolves"

"koga commands the finest army in the east. And there walls are built to withstand a ten-year siege."

"There won't be a ten-year siege. I'll attack them with the greatest force the world has ever seen. I want all the kings of the dog demons and all their armies. Send emissaries in the morning. Nestor stands and prepares to leave" naraku said

"One last thing. We need inuyasha and his Myrmidons" but the king shakes his head.

"inuyasha can't be controlled. He's as likely to fight us as the wolves"

"We don't need to control him. We need to unleash him. The man was born to end lives." nester said.

"Yes, he's a gifted killer, but he follows no king. He threatens everything I've built. Before me the dog demon was nothing, a province of warlords and cattle raiders. I've brought all the dog demon kingdoms together with the sword when necessary, with a treaty when possible. I've created a nation out of fire-worshippers and snake-eaters. I build the future, Nestor. inuyasha is the past, a man who fights for no flag, a man loyal to no country." Nestor waits a respectful moment before replying.

"Your words are true. But how many battles have we won off the edge of his sword? This will be the greatest war the world has ever seen. We need the greatest warrior."nester said as the king paced around the room.

"there's one man he will listen to" the king said looking at nester

"I'll send a ship in the morning"

A dog demon with golden eyes and purple strips on the side of his face sits on a hillside looking over the sea. Beside him sits his faithful hunting dog, argos. They watch a troop of emissaries climb the steep hill. The emissaries are panting for breath by the time they reach the hilltop.

"Greetings, brother. We were told King shessomaru is here in the hills."

"shessomaru? That old bastard drinks my wine and never pays."

"You ought to respect your king, friend." the emissary said

"Respect him? I'd like to punch him in the nose. He's always pawing at my wife, trying to tear her clothes off."

The emissaries, embarrassed, begin walking away. And the shepherd watches them go.

"I hope the dog kings generals are smarter than his emissaries." shessomaru said looking at his dog.

The emissary turns and looks at the shepard.

"What did you say?" he said as he watched the shepard scratch his dog behind his ears as he wagged his tail happily.

"You want me to help you fight the wolves.?"

"You're…" the emissary exchanges glances with his compatriots. They're confused. Finally the chastened emissaries bow.

"Forgive us, King shessomaru". shessomaru stands and looks down at his dog.

"well im gonna miss my dog"

"The dog king has a favour to ask of you." shessomaru smiles and rubs his dog's head.

"Of course he does."

inuyasha stands in the ruins of an ivy-covered temple on a cliff above the sea, sparring with his cousin shippo Both men wield wooden practice swords. shippo is a talented, lean, flashy young fighter. His sword whirls in the air like a thing alive. inuyasha, by contrast, is the apotheosis of the efficient combatant, wasting no energy, waiting for weakness.

shippo presses in on the attack inuyasha tilts his head to avoid one thrust, side-steps to avoid another. Spying a momentary opening he lunges forward and taps shippo's belly with the tip of his wood sword.

"You're getting fat, cousin."

shippo grins and relaunches his attack, sword spinning with blazing speed. inuyasha ducks beneath an arcing swing and sword-taps shippo on the back.

"Fancy swordplay. The girls must be impressed."

shippo grunts and charges in again. This time a genuine duel develops, featuring splendid repartee and parrying.

"A little nervous, aren't you?" shippo said grinning with a stern look on his face.

"Terrified."

inuyasha raises his right hand and shippo lifts his sword to parry the blow… but inuyasha no longer holds his sword in his right hand. Sword in his left hand, inuyasha taps shippo on the chest. shippo stares down at the wood blade.

"You told me never to switch sword hands." shippo said looking at him.

inuyasha rolls his head to loosen his neck.

"By the time you know how to do it, you won't be following my orders anymore."

Inuyasha tosses aside the sparring sword. He cocks his head as if listening to some distant sound. shippo, oblivious to the noise, practices his swordplay. inuyasha foot curls around the wood shaft of one of the spears lying on the ground. In one impossibly fast motion, he flips the spear into the air with his foot, catches it, and throws in the opposite direction from where he was looking.

The bronze warhead blazes between the temple's walls and drives into the trunk of an old fir. Only now do we see shessomaru, leading a black horse, standing inches from the quivering shaft of the spear blocking his path. He stares at the spear for a moment before ducking his head under the shaft and walking forward.

"Your reputation for hospitality is fast becoming legend." shessomaru said smiling

"I don't like that smile, my friend. It's the smile you smile when you want me to fight in another war. shippo ,my cousin ….shessomaru, king of the southern lands."

Shippo, son of the fox demon tribe leader? The boy nods. shessomaru grips shippo's shoulder.

"I knew your parents well. I miss them." shippo nods again, looking at his feet.

"Now you have this one watching over you, eh? Learning from inuyasha himself … every boy must be jealous….."

"We need to talk" shessomaru said looking at inuyasha

"Tell me you're not here at the dog kings bidding."

Shessomaru hesitates. And inuyasha shakes his head.

"How many times have I done the savage work for the King of Kings? And when has he ever shown me the respect I've earned?" inuyasha said looking at his brother

"I'm not asking you to fight for him. I'm asking you to fight for the dog demons."

"Why? Are the dog demons tired of fighting each other?"

"for now"

"the wolves never did anything to me."

"They insulted the dog demons."

"They insulted onedemon, a man who couldn't hold on to his wife. What business is that of mine?"

"Your business is war, my friend."

"Is it? Am I the whore of the battlefield? Can my sword be bought and sold? I don't want to be remembered as a tyrant's mercenary." inuyasha said getting angery

"Forget the dog king. Fight for me. My wife will feel much better if she knows you're by my side. I'll feel much better."

"Is Ajax going to fight in the wolves land?"

"Of course. You've heard of Ajax, eh?"

"They say he can fell an oak tree with one swing of the axe." shippo said getting into the coversatsion.

"trees don't swing back" inuyasha said

Shessomaru chuckles, but he's alert to the boy's enthusiasm..

"We're sending the largest fleet that ever sailed a thousand ships."

"A thousand ships! Prince koga, is he as good a warrior as they say?" shippo said

"The best of all the wolves. Some say he's better than all the dog demons, too. Even if your cousin doesn't come, shippo, I hope you'll join us. We could use a strong arm like yours."

shippo beams with pride and looks at his cousin. inuyasha wraps his arm around shessomaru's shoulders and leans closer to the king. The embrace is friendly, but there's no mistaking the power in inuyasha's grip.

"Play your tricks on me, if you'd like. But leave my cousin out of it."

"You have your sword, I have my tricks. We play with the toys the gods give us." shessomaru goes back to his horse and mounts.

"We sail for the wolves land in three days." This war will never be forgotten. Nor will the heroes who fight in it. shippo, eager but frustrated, watches him ride away.

inuyasha makes his away across the sandy hillocks. And he spies a woman in the distance.

inuyasha finds his mother, standing in the surf. Her long black hair shining in the sun. She sees a shell that she likes and stoops down to pick it up.

"mother.."

She turns and smiles at inuyasha.

"I thought I'd make you another seashell necklace."she said smiling

"I haven't worn a seashell necklace since I was a boy."

She looks at inuyasha's bare neck.

"Don't you like them anymore?" she said her smile fading.

Inuyasha spots a good shell. And hands it to his mother smiling.

"Oh, that's a pretty one" she said surveys the beach for more pretty shells.

"They want me for another war…" inuyasha said

While his mother bends down and scoops up a silvery shell.

"Are you listening?"

"Yes, my sweet. Another war."

"Shippo wants to go."

"Shippo has never seen war."

She examines the shells in the palm of her hand. Finally she stands and looks at her son.

"If you stay here, with me, with your family, you'll have a long, peaceful life. You'll marry, you'll have children, and your children will have children. They'll love you, and when you're gone they'll remember you. But when your children are dead, and their children after them, your name will be lost." she said as she reaches up to touch her son's cheek. Her eyes are clear, her voice steady. She speaks these lines with no hesitation, no doubt.

"If you go to Troy, no one will earn more glory than you. Men will tell stories of your victories for thousands of years. The world will remember your name." inuyasha stares at her, his eyes burning. These are words he's wanted to hear since the day he was born. His mother waits a moment before speaking again. The words hurt her.

"But if you go to the wolves land, you'll never come home. You'll die there."

"And you know this, mother?"

"I know it.."

inuyasha looks out to the sea. His mother now tears in her eyes, smiles bravely.

"Whenever your father came home from war, he'd stare at the sea, just like that. He never stayed for long."

In the distance inuyasha sees a white sail. He fixates on the lonely spot of white on the endless expanse of dark water.

We soar above the greatest armada the world has ever seen. One thousand ships sail east, crowding the sea, churning the waves with their keels.

The white sails are painted with the signs and emblems of the various nationalities represented in this alliance. One ship sails slightly out of formation. Alone amongst the entire fleet, this ship's sail is black.

Inuyasha stands in the prow of his boat, staring east. Shippo standing behind him, wearing a new shell necklace.

koga, miroku, sango, and an entourage of soldiers walk through the gates. The city is magnificent, a wonder of white-washed walls, lush gardens, and towering statues of the gods. Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Poseidon stand eighty feet high in the four corners of the main square. The princes' return is a holiday for the wolves. Thousands of onlookers line the road, cheering. Other well-wishers, standing on the roofs of houses, throwing flower petals. miroku holds sango's hand and occasionally whispers in her ear, pointing out various sights, but sango looks nervous. People in the crowd, mystified by her appearance, point at her and whisper amongst themselves. sango holds her head high and pretends to ignore the murmurs and stares. koga looks at her. She carries herself like a queen…but she's gripping miroku's hand with white knuckles.

At the bottom of a long staircase leading into the palace, four guards, wearing battle clothes, are mounted on beautiful white horses.

koga reunites with his wife, ayame pale skinned and green eyed. He holds her to his chest; she closes her eyes, and they stand like that for a long time.

A nurse standing nearby holds koga's ten-month-old son, kona. Now ayame takes the baby from the nurse. koga stares into the boy's wondering eyes and puts his finger in the boy's hand.

"He has a good grip."

"He's just like his father. He even hates peas." ayame said giggling

While this reunion is going on, miroku embraces his father, Priam, king of the wolves. Priam is a regal-looking man with a shock of white hair and sharp blue eyes. And he adores miroku.

"sango? sango of the dog demon tribe?" Both sango and Priam now look at miroku

"Sango of the wolves."

If Priam is disturbed by this revelation, his face doesn't betray it. He leans forward and kisses the former queen on both cheeks. sango didn't know what to expect …. she's flustered and gratified at the same time.

"I've heard rumours of your beauty. For once, the gossips were right. Welcome." he said smiling.

"Thank you, good king."

"Come, you must be tired." He leads them up the stairs and into the palace

kagome, a seventeen-year-old girl with an aristocratic demeanour, wearing the white robes of a temple acolyte, approaches the royal family. miroku smiles when he sees her.

"kagome! Beloved cousin, your beauty grows with each new moon." miroku said smiling as he held onto her shoulders lightly.

Kagome's, cheeks flushing, dips her knees in deference. koga approaches her now, arms open. Kagome's face lights up. She hugs the eldest prince. and Koga kisses the top of her head.

"Did you miss me, little swan?" Kagome nods. koga pinches the sleeve of her robe.

"A servant now?" koga said looking at her clothes

"The young men of the wolves were devastated when she chose the virgin robes." Kagome's cheeks turn bright red as the king said those words.

"Uncle."

Priam laughs and kisses the girl's forehead. He takes three goblets of wine from a servant holding a silver platter and hands them to koga and miroku, keeping one for himself.

"I thank the gods for your safe return."

The king and the princes spill a few drops of wine as they cheered.

"For the gods!"

And they drain their goblets

The meeting hall of the wolves At the far end of the hall, Priam stands by an open archway looking over the city. koga sits at a table that could seat fifty men.

"It's the will of the gods. Everything is in their hands. But I'm surprised you let him bring her."

"If I'd let him fight for her, you'd be burning a son's body instead of welcoming a daughter."

Priam closes his eyes at these words.

"We could send peace envoys to the king"

"You know he. He'd spear your envoys' heads to his gate." koga said looking at his father.

"What would you have me do?"

"Put her on a ship and send her home."

Priam thinks for a moment, staring out at his city.

"Women have always loved miroku and he's loved them back. But this is different. Something has changed in him. If we send her back to that king, he'll follow"

koga stands and joins his father in the archway. He gestures outside. The city of the wolves, teems with life, the citizens going about their business.

"This is my country. These are my countrymen. I don't want to see them suffer so my brother can have his prize." koga said looking out.

"It's not just the her husband coming after her. By now he has gone to his brother, and he' wanted to destroy us for years. Once we're out of the way he controls the seas." koga said

"Enemies have been attacking us for centuries. Our walls still stand."

"Father. We can't win this war."

"Apollo watches over us. Even the dog kings is no match for the gods"

"How many battalions does the Sun God command?" koga said

"Don't mock the gods."

koga opens his mouth to argue but holds his tongue.

"When you were very young you came down with scarlet fever."

koga nods impatiently. He's heard this story before.

"Your little hands were so hot. The healer said you wouldn't last the night. I went down to Apollo's temple and I prayed until the sun came up. That walk back to the palace was the longest of my life. But I went into your mother's room and you were sleeping in her arms. The fever had broken. I promised that day to dedicate my life to the gods. I will not break my promise."

koga took a deep breath. He knows Priam has decided.

For thirty years I've worked for peace. Thirty years. miroku is a fool sometimes. I know that. But I'll fight a thousand wars before letting him die. koga looks past the city to the sea. The waters are empty now, but he knows what's coming.

"Forgive me, father. But you won't be the one fighting."

koga bows and leaves the old king alone in the great hall.

miroku paces about the room. sango stands in the archway looking out to the dark sea. The wind blows through her hair.

"They're coming for me." The wind is bringing them closer. miroku stops pacing and stares at her.

"What if we left? Tonight, right now, what if we went down to the stables, took two horses and left. Ride east, keep riding…"

"and go where?"

"Away from here. I could hunt deer, rabbit. I could feed us."

"this is your home.."

"you left home for me.."

"that place was never my home. My parents sent me there when I was sixteen to marry the dog king, but it was never my home."

miroku, excited with his new-hatched plan, barely listens.

"We'll live off the land. No more palaces for us, no more servants. We don't need any of that."

"and your family?"

"We'd be protecting my family! If we're not here there's no need for a war."

"the dog king won't give up. He'll track us to the end of the world."

"He doesn't know these lands. I do. We can lose ourselves in a day." sango stands and kisses him

on the lips.

"You don't know that king. You don't know his brother. They'll burn every house to find us. They'll never believe we've left… and even if they do, they'll burn you country for spite."

miroku considers her words and finally nods.

"Then I'll make it easy for him to find me. I'll walk right up to him and tell him you're mine." sango wraps her arms around miroku and rests her chin on his shoulder.

"You're very young, my love"

"We're the same age!"

"You're younger than I ever was."

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**ok well i hoped you liked it please dont forget to review, cuze if u dont then i think no ones reading my story and i wont put up more chapters o and thank you for reading my story, ta ta and come back soon .**


	3. Chapter 3

well...thanks for the review. im sorry its not good enought?... i really thought people would like it...maybe if i get more into the story...but anyways hes the next chappter

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The sun rises above the wolves land and there countryside. 

dozens of supplicants kneel before the statue of Poseidon and lay down their offerings: bundles of flowers; small carvings; goatskins filled with wine.

prepare a series of fortifications at the beach. Men carrying torches ignite giant pumice urns filled with burning pitch. Others hammer long spikes deep into the sand to hinder enemies rushing up from the beach. There is little conversation and the men look tense. Everything is touched with an air of extreme urgency.

The temple of aplo overlooks the beach.

two priests carve strips of fat from a roasted pig and lay them on the god's altar, muttering chants as they perform the ritual. Kagome, the temple acolyte, stands beside the priests, pouring ceremonial wine on the stone floor.

in the marketplace set up their stalls and display their goods, wine, olive oil, dates, figs, nuts and spices. The bronzesmith hammers a bronze sword into shape.

A shepard watches over his herd of sheep. A farmer and his son lead a team of yoked oxen to the fields. Fisherman in a small boat, a mile from shore, spread their nets in the water.

Two sentries stand in a guard tower on a corner of the wolves city walls, sipping hot broth from bowls. A large flag, emblazoned with there emblem, flies above the tower. A Sentry blows steam off his soup. He raises his eyes, blinks and squints into the distance. He bolts upright. The other Sentry stands and follows his partner's gaze out to the sea. Both of them stand slack-jawed.

A thousand dog demon wat ships clog the horizon, sailing straight for them.

The sentry grabs a gong tapper and begins hammering the brass gong hanging from the tower's lintel. The other Sentry still stares at the swarm of ships. No wolf demon has ever seen such a force.

Sentries in other guard towers hammer their warning gongs.

koga sits on a rug by his bed, beside his wife ayame, watching his son. The boy plays with the wood lion koga carved on the journey back from the dog demons land.

The city bells begin to ring. Koga looks at his wife and walks to the balcony, where he can see over the city walls to the Aegean. He sees a thousand enemy sails. For a moment he stares at the army before hurrying back into the palace.

Priam kneels before a grand statue of Zeus in the great hall. The Thunder God, his stone face a mask of rage, thunderbolts clutched in his stone hands, stares down at the old king. Listening to the bells, Priam takes a deep breath and Looks up into Zeus's eyes. The father of the gods stares back.

Panic in the streets of the wolves. Merchants quickly pack away their goods; mothers run into the streets looking for their children; young men hurry to the armory.

A mad rush to get inside the safety of the city walls.

The farmer and his son hastily load provisions onto a wagon.

The Sheppard hurries his herd toward the wolves gates. He's joined by hundreds of country dwellers racing for sanctuary. The fisherman row desperately for shore.

The ships draws closer to shore. One ship sails far ahead of the rest. Its sail is black.

inuyasha's oarsmen holler encouragement to their shipmates and check to see that their boat is safely in the lead. inuyasha stands in the prow, scanning the wolf shore. shippo stands beside him. Eudorus, a Myrmidon lieutenant, approaches inuyasha

"Should we wait for the others?" inuyasha marks the progress of the other ships. The nearest is a quarter-mile back. Those myrmidon (inuyasha's countrymen and comrades) not rowing are suiting up for battle.

"They brought us here for a war, didn't they?"

"Yes, my lord. But the king…" inuyasha stares at his officer until the man bows his head.

"Do you fight for me, Eudorus? Or the king?"

"For you, my lord."

"Then fight for me. And let the servants of that king fight for him."

The dog king, Nestor and naraku stand in the ship's prow.

"Whose ship is that?" Nestor shields his eyes from the sun and looks. Nestor Black sail. Inuyasha They watch inuyasha's ship approach the beach.

"What is that fool doing? He's going to take the beach of the wolves with fifty men?" naraku said

The archers check their catgut strings one last time.

Tecton dismounts at the door of the armory and runs inside.

The cavernous building is crowded with armaments, racks and racks of spears, swords, breastplates, and shields. koga watches as hundreds of male citizens rush into the armory and are issued weapons by wolf soldiers. The faces of the men reflect fear, excitement, and resolve. ginta approaches the prince and bows.

"The wolf Guards?" koga said

"Waiting at the city gates"

"Good." koga grabs the captain, Hakkaku, overseeing arms distribution.

"how long before the army is ready?" koga said

"Half our men are still coming in from the countryside. We have to arm them, we have to match them with the right officers…"

"how long?"

"noon" he said with a deep breath

"Make it sooner"

the prince in martial mode, He looks different, eyes harder, mouth set and unsmiling.

I want patrols to scour the countryside. Check every home, every pasture. I want every wolves brought inside the walls. If they can't walk, carry them. Hakkaku bows his head. koga walks swiftly away, followed by ginta. Hakkaku and the other wolves watch their prince with silent respect. There is no doubt who leads the city.

Though the oarsmen continue to pull, everyone is now armoured. inuyasha sees shippo, armed and ready to fight.

"where are you going?" inuyasha said looking a shippo

"To fight the wolves." inuyasha shakes his head and takes shippo's spear.

"your not ready"

"I am ready. You taught me how to fight."

"inuyasha rests his hand on the back of the boy's head."

"And you're a good student. But you're not a Myrmidon yet." He gestures to the Myrmidons around them.

These are the fiercest soldiers in our land. Each of them has bled for me before. I can't fight the wolves if I'm worrying about you, cousin. Guard the ship.

shippo looks about the deck. The only unarmored man aboard is an old, one-legged cook, mending spears. shippo angrily strips off his breastplate and drops it to the deck.

Koga and ginta gallop through the gate. They rein in their horses and look over the elite wolf Guard, eighty of the wolves finest soldiers, riding well-groomed, snorting mounts. When koga

speaks his voice is clear and steady.

"All my life I've lived by a code, and the code is simple. Honour the gods. Love your woman. And defend your country." The men roar at his words.

"Our land is mother to us all. Fight for her!" The men roar and thrust their spears into the air. koga leads the charge to the beach.

inuyasha stands in his ship's bow, scanning the wolves dunes. He turns to face his men. And smiles.

Myrmidons, we are brothers of the sword. I'd rather fight alongside you than any army of thousands.

The Myrmidons cheer. inuyasha points his sword toward the beach.

"Do you know what's waiting beyond that beach? ….Immortality."

The Myrmidons raise their swords and cry out with one voice. The oarsmen give one last mighty pull on their oars and beach the tar-caulked keel of the warship on sand. Inuyasha , grabs a coiled rope anchored to a bronze cleat, and rappels down to the beach. The Myrmidons follow him, tossing the ropes off the deck and shimmying down to the beach.

The archers behind the fortifications watch the Myrmidons climb down from their ship. Their captain raises his hand, wait... wait... captain of archers Now! The archers rise and release their arrows.

Hundreds of arrows whistle through the air. Four of the Myrmidons climbing down cry out as arrows hit them; they tumble into the sea. Other arrows rip into the packed sand or zip harmlessly into the water. The Myrmidons, clustered together and holding their shields above their heads, look to inuyasha. inuyasha makes a hand signal. Half his men split off and run to the fortifications on their left, howling like wolves as arrows rain down.

Shippo huddles under the railing beside the cook as arrow after arrow screams by. A flaming arrow hits one of the sails, and then another. The sails begin to burn.

Help me get the sails down! The cook limps over to the sails, ignoring the arrows that rain around him. shippo takes a deep breath and runs in a crouch to the cook. Together they lower the burning sails.

inuyasha sprints toward the archers, half his men behind him. The archers let off another volley. More Myrmidons fall.

The dog king, naraku, and Nestor watch the battle from the prow of their ship. They're still half a mile away.

The man wants to die. they could hear SHOUTS of "inuyasha!" from the other ships, a great clamor as men bash the flats of their swords against their shields and cheer their hero on. The dog king hears the cheering. He grits his teeth and glares at the distant inuyasha. Nestor notices the dog kings barely concealed fury. He speaks quietly, so no one else can hear.

"Give him his battle. You'll take the war." nestor said watching him fight his fury

"Give him too many battles and the men will forget who's king."

koga and his men near the high dunes, galloping at breakneck speed.

three arrows in his shield, inuyasha sprints across the sands. Arrows tear through the air about him. No man alive can run with inuyasha.

He leaps over the fortification, sword flashing before his feet ever touch the ground. The archers crumple to the ground as inuyasha' sword cuts through them. In a moment the Myrmidons catch up to inuyasha and lay into the archers. Within seconds they massacre them. inuyasha turns and nods to the temple, the next target. Eudorus gasps for air. inuyasha regards him with amusement.

"Breathe, my friend." Eudorus takes two deep breaths. inuyasha dashes for the temple. His Myrmidons follow behind.

The archers at the temple unleash a fusillade of arrows. Every few yards another Myrmidon falls. Several of them are wounded, but if they're not dead they keep moving forward.

Ajax's ship is one hundred yards from shore. Legendary Ajax, a huge man, brutally muscled, head shaved, face and body scarred -- stands in the prow, watching inuyasha.

"Look at him, hogging all the glory." He walks over to his rowers, grabs an oarsmen on the front bench under the armpits and tosses him away. Ajax sits, grabs the oar handle, and begins rowing maniacally, the veins in his massive arms bulging through the skin

"Row, you lazy whores, row! Dog demons are dying!"

The oarsmen redouble their efforts and the ship leaps over the waves toward the shore.

koga and the Apollonian Guards rein in their horses atop the dunes. Koga sees Ajax's ship plowing into the beach. Hundreds of other ships are close behind.

The wolf archers rain arrows down on Ajax's ship. Several flaming arrows catch in the hull and begin to burn.

"We can't hold the beach, my prince."

koga sees where inuyasha and the Myrmidons are heading.

"They're trying to take the temple"

"No believer would spill blood in Apollo's temple." ginta said as koga, increasingly uneasy, watches inuyasha dodge arrows. He turns and points to the spot where Ajax's ship has landed.

(to wolf officer) "The archers need help. Burn as many ships as you can, but don't sacrifice yourself. Bring the men back to the city." The officer bows and leads Guards to the fortifications.

"Follow me."

and koga gallops toward the temple" ginta and his men behind him.

inuyasha, his shield now quilled with arrows, hurls a spear. It catches the closest archer just above the breastplate, tearing through the man's throat. The archers near by throw down their bows and take up the spears racked behind them.

But inuyasha is already upon them, cutting them down with ruthless precision. Every time his sword flashes through the air another wolf falls, and inuyasha keeps sweeping through them, his face painted with wolf blood. The other Myrmidons are fighting beside their leader now, and the wolf archers are no match for the Myrmidons in hand to hand combat. Soon the temple area belongs to the dog demons.

Ajax and his men rappel down the ship's hull while arrows rip into wood and flesh. Ajax carries a giant battle-axe and a shield twice the size of most men's. When he reaches the surf he doesn't wait for his men; he roars and charges at the archers in the dunes.

Inuyasha, not even breathing hard after the slaughter, removes his helmet and rests it on the wall. The surviving Myrmidons search the grounds, dispatching any dying wolves. Eudorus hurries over to inuyasha's side.

"The temple is secure." Eudorus said to inuyasha.

"The Sun God is the patron of the wolves, our enemy. Take whatever treasure you can find." The Myrmidons cheer and rush to the temple.

"With your permission, my lord…"

"Speak."

Eudorus gestures to the sun above them.

"Apollo sees everything. Perhaps it's not wise to offend him."

inuyasha nods and walks over to the towering statue of Apollo in front of the temple. Eudorus watches in horror as inuyasha climbs atop the statue and beheads Apollo with a swing of his sword.

"Hector and ginta rein in their horses."

"He dares attack Apollo?" ginta said glaring at inuyasha as Koga spurs his horse and races toward the invaders, followed by his twenty men. The other sixty wolves gallop to Ajax's landing spot.

inuyasha gazes at the sky as if waiting for the sun to blast him for blasphemy. Nothing happens. Hearing hoof beats, inuyasha turns and spots koga and his men, two hundred yards away.

"Get inside the temple, warn the men." Eudorus hurries to warn his comrades.

Eudorus! Wait, wait a moment. The Myrmidon captain stops. Inuyasha hefts a spear, judges the distance, and throws. One hundred yards from inuyasha, the spearhead finds its mark, ginta breastplate. Ginta is knocked from his horse and skewered to the ground. He clutches at the wooden shaft, not comprehending his fate. koga reins in his horse and stares at his fallen captain. The man is finished. Koga turns to look at inuyasha. Eudorus's eyes are wide. No other man alive could have thrown a spear that far or that accurately.

"Now you can go." Eudorus runs inside the temple. koga kicks his horse and gallops toward inuyasha. His men cry out and follow him. inuyasha waits. koga raises his own spear. When he is fifty yards away, he throws. At the very last moment, inuyasha bends his head to one side, an almost lackadaisical movement. The spear rips through the air occupied by inuyasha's head half a moment before. inuyasha smiles. Koga draws his sword and charges, his men right behind him. inuyasha walks, with insulting insouciance, into the temple. A series of high steps lead inside the temple. koga and the wolves dismount and proceed cautiously to the temple. An arrow sticks out of Ajax's leg but he doesn't seem to notice it. He bulls forward, giant shield held in front, and slams into the wolf ranks. Where inuyasha is all grace and speed, Ajax is brute force. Parrying his blows is useless: his battle axe splits bronze shields, bronze swords, bronze helmets. The sound of his axe carving through a breastplate and the man beneath the breastplate is like nothing else on earth. As Ajax drops another wolves, he lifts his axe to the heavens.

I am Ajax, breaker of stones, widow-maker of Salamis! Look upon me, wolves, and despair! The Apollonians join the fight against the wolves. The Guards are far better than the archers at hand-to-hand combat.

Koga and his men enter the temple. Eyes adjusting to the gloomy light, they gingerly advance. All is quiet. Evidence of looting is everywhere. At the back of the temple, stairs lead up to the altar room. koga walks toward the stairs. Blood trickles down the steps. koga raises his eyes. Inuyasha stands atop the staircase, both hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword, the sword point resting on the top step. He stares down at koga. War cries explode through the temple. The Myrmidons burst from their hiding places and rush the wolves. koga is an obvious target. Two myrmidons charge him, their spears leveled. If inuyasha is the apotheosis of martial grace, koga is something altogether different …a man of ordinary gifts who has become an extraordinary warrior by dint of experience, endless training, and powerful intelligence. As the Myrmidons charge he waits. At the last moment he swings his sword, slicing both spearheads from their shafts. The Myrmidons stare at their decapitated spears. koga doesn't give them a chance to recover. He pounces, sword flashing, and both men fall to the temple floor. Inuyasha watches from the top step. koga begins running up the stairs. Inuyasha disappears inside the altar room. Another Myrmidon bounds up the stairs after koga. The prince wheels about and kicks the Myrmidon in the breastplate. The soldier tumbles down the steps. koga continues up the stairs.

As more dog demon ships make landfall, the Apollonian officer sees that their position is no longer defensible.

"Back to the city! Back to the city!" The wolves begin to retreat. The archers still turn to fire whenever there's time. Mounted Guards haul fleeing archers onto their horses.

koga finds the bodies of two priests. They lie on the stone floor, limbs splayed, throats slit. Sitting atop the altar, half-hidden by the shadows, is inuyasha. He's a terrible sight to behold, splattered with blood, his sword still dripping.

"You must be very brave or very stupid, to come after me alone. You must be koga." koga stares at inuyasha a moment before kneeling by the dead priest's bodies.

"These priests weren't armed." koga closes the eyes of the murdered priests. Inuyasha jumps down from the altar and looks at the bodies

"I didn't kill them. Cutting old men's throats …there's no honor in that."

Honor? Children and fools fight for honour. I fight for my country." koga charges. inuyasha dances back, staying just out of reach. inuyasha looks relaxed, almost playful.

"Fight me."

"Why kill you, prince , with no one here to see you fall?" backs out of an archway opening onto the bright day outside. koga follows.

Down at the beach, scores of dog demon ships are on the sand.

"Why did you come here?"

inuyasha gestures at the invading flotilla.

"They'll be talking about this war for a thousand years."

"In a thousand years even the dust from our bones will be gone."

"Yes, prince. But our names will remain. A band of bloodied Myrmidons, led by Eudorus, emerges from the temple. Koga, surrounded by enemies, warily backs off.

"The wolves are dead." Eudorus said to inuyasha.

"Go home, prince. Drink some wine. Make love to your wife. Tomorrow we'll have our war."

"You speak of war as if it's a game. But how many wives wait at our gate for husbands they'll never see again?"

"Perhaps your brother can comfort them. I hear he's good at charming other men's wives" koga stares at inuyasha and the Myrmidons for another moment before walking away.

"Why did you let him go?"

"It's too early in the day for killing princes."

Thousands of dog demon soldiers on the beach watch as the wolves retreat, many of the archers riding behind their Apollonian saviors. koga mounts his horse and rides back toward the city. When the dog demons see inuyasha climbing onto the temple's roof they stare in awe, silent. Inuyasha raises his bloodied sword toward the sun. The clamour that erupts from the beach is deafening. Thousands of men cheering and yelling his name inuyasha! inuyasha!

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inuyasha is like a god isnt he haha, well i hope this is making more sense to you guys, please review so i know what you guys think please and thank you. 


	4. Chapter 4

**ok i havn't updated for a while but ifyou want more ill give u more , i hope u like it**

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**the great battel**

The dog king, still aboard his ship, waits for the gangplank to be lowered. His dark eyes are cold and hateful as he listens to the men cheering.

Soldiers tug more and more ships onto the sand. From the landed ships, primitive cranes are already beginning to lower boxes of provisions, military materiel, and horses. inuyasha walks across the beach, carrying his sword, accepting the congratulations of the troops. Ajax, shirtless, strides over.

"Inuyasha!" inuyasha halts. For a moment there seems to be tension in the air. Everyone watches. Ajax gives inuyasha a bear hug.

"You're as fearless as a god."

"The gods are immortal. What do they have to fear?" Ajax laughs and releases inuyasha.

"I'm honoured to go to war with you." inuyasha nods and grips the big man's thick arm.

"I don't have to worry about my back with you behind me." and inuyasha continues walking. He sees shessomaru walking down a gangplank from his ship to the beach.

"If you sailed any slower, the war would be over." inuyasha called out.

I don't mind missing the beginning of the war …as long as I'm here at the end. Inuyasha smiles and keeps walking. He arrives at the Myrmidon's newly established base. shippo, Eudorus, and the other surviving Myrmidons greet inuyasha.

We have something to show you. inuyasha follows Eudorus and the grinning Myrmidons to a large tent twenty yards inland from their beached ship. A few Myrmidons hammer the last tent pegs deep into the sand. Eudorus holds open the tent flap. inuyasha looks at his captain for a moment before entering the tent.

No rugs have been laid down yet, so loot from the temple has been stacked on the sand gold chalices, black amphorae, woven tapestries, goatskins filled with sacred wine. But inuyasha does not look at this plunder. Bound by the wrists to the center pole of the tent is kagome, dressed in her white robes. Terrified but trying to retain her composure, she returns inuyasha's stare. Robes torn, hair disheveled, bleeding from the lip, she still possesses her innate dignity and strength. Something changes in inuyasha's eyes when he looks at her.

"The men found her hiding in the temple. They thought she'd... please you."

"Leave us." Eudorus bows and exits. inuyasha pulls a small, sharp knife from his belt. kagome stares at the blade. inuyasha walks over to her and cuts the ropes that bind her. She sits back, rubbing the chafed skin of her wrists, still watching inuyasha as he sheathes his knife.

"What's your name?" kagome stares at him but doesn't answer. inuyasha becomes aware, for the first time, that he's covered in blood. He wipes a hand across his face. kagome looks about the tent, as if searching for a way out.

"You're safer in this tent than out there. Believe me."

"You killed Apollo's priests."

"I've killed men in five countries. But never a priest."

"Then your men did. The Sun God will have his vengeance." inuyasha removed his kimono top.

"What's he waiting for?" kagome is stunned by such blunt blasphemy but she can't take her eyes off him, because inuyasha, after all, is inuyasha.

"The right time to strike."

"inuyasha removes his white top leaving himself shirtless.

"His priests are dead and his acolyte's a captive. I think your god is afraid of me". kagome laughs bitterly.

"Afraid? Apollo is master of the sun. He fears nothing." inuyasha nods and looks around the dark tent

"Then where is he?" kagome has no answer. inuyasha smiles and she looks away. A bucket of hot water sits beside a washcloth. inuyasha wets the cloth and begins to scrub the blood from his body.

"You're nothing but a killer. You don't know anything about the gods."

"You haven't seen twenty summers and you think you know my heart? I know more about the gods than priests could ever teach you." inuyasha said as he approached her and took a lock of her hair and took the sweet sent in "You're royalty, aren't you?" kagome says nothing. inuyasha smiles again.

"You've spent years talking down to men, you must be royalty. What's your name? Even the servants of Apollo have names."

"kagome…"

"Are you afraid, kagome?" kagome is quiet for a moment. She watches inuyasha with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"should I be?"

"my lord" Eudorus said calling from outside the tent

"What is it? "Eudorus sticks his head inside the tent.

"the king requests your presence."

"Why would I want to look at him when I can look at her?"

"All the kings are there, celebrating the victory." inuyasha stands.

"Give me a moment." Eudorus withdraws. A longsilence while inuyasha studies her.

"You don't need to fear me, girl. You're the only wolf demon who can say that."

"im not a wolf demon….im actually a human.."

"all the same to me" and inuyasha leaves.

Two muscular guards stand by the opening to the dog kings tent. inuyasha, wearing clean clothes, doesn't bother waiting for the guards' permission to enter; he brushes past them and through the tent flap.

The largest tent on the beach, the dog demon command quarters are a lush affair, decorated with the spoils of a dozen wars. Several aides-de-camp bustle in and out on various errands. The dog kings are here shessomaru, Ajax, Menelaus, etc. the dog king sits on a heavy wood throne, garishly inlaid with gold, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. The cat demon king, kneels before the dog demon

You've won a great victory, King of Kings. No one thought the wolf demon beach could be captured so easily. He hands the dog king a ceremonial dagger with a gold hilt.

A beautiful gift, my friend. You will be among the first to walk the streets of there land tomorrow. The cat demon king stands and bows. inuyasha has watched this exchange with disbelief. He glances at shessomaru, who shrugs. Now Nestor, kneels before the dog king and hands him an urn decorated with painted warriors.

"My father had this urn made to commemorate his victory . I present it to you in honour of an even more memorable victory.

"Thank you, old friend. Tomorrow we'll eat supper in the gardens of there land. Nestor stands and bows. The dog king places the dagger and urn beside a pile of other luxurious gifts. As the kings file out of the tent, shessomaru clasps inuyasha's shoulder and speaks to him out of the others' earshot.

"War is young men dying and old men talking. You know this. Ignore the politics."

shessomaru exits the tent. The dog king deigns to notice inuyasha waiting for him.

"Leave us." The aides exit, leaving inuyasha and the dog king alone. inuyasha eyes the pile of gifts.

"Apparently you've won some great victory."

"Ah, perhaps you didn't notice. The wolf beach belonged to Priam in the morning. It belongs to me in the afternoon."

"You can have the beach. I didn't come here for sand."

"No, you came because you want your name to last through the ages. A great victory was won today…but the victory is not yours. Kings did not kneel to inuyasha. Kings did not bring homage to inuyasha."

"The battle was won by soldiers. The soldiers know who fought."

"History remembers the kings, not the soldiers. Tomorrow we'll batter down the gates of there palace. I'll build monuments to victory on every island of my country, and carve my name in the stone. My name will last forever. Your name is written in the sand, for the waves to wash away.

"First you need the victory"

inuyasha turns to leave.

"One more thing, son of InuTaiso" inuyasha stops.

"I don't want to hear my father's name from your mouth."

"The first pick of the battle's spoils always goes to the commander. Your men sacked the temple of Apollo, yes?"

"You want gold? Take it, it's my gift, to honour your courage. Take what you want."

"I already have. Aphareus! Haemon! Two battle-scarred soldiers, drag kagome into the tent. Her face is bruised almost in tears …clearly she's been slapped around.

"The spoils of war. Tonight I'll have her give me a bath. And then …who knows?" Inuyasha draws his sword.

"I have no quarrel with you, brothers. But you'll never see home again if you don't let her go." The soldiers hesitate, then draw their own swords. Inuyasha advances on them.

"Guards!" The two sentries rush into the tent, swords drawn. inuyasha is surrounded. He raises his sword.

"Stop!" Everyone stops and looks at the girl. Despite her torn robes, her noble bearing and authoritative tone command respect.

"Too many people have died today." She looks at the various men in the room and finally addresses inuyasha.

"If killing is your only talent, that's your curse. But I don't want anyone dying for me. Everyone is quiet until the dog king laughs.

"Mighty inuyasha, silenced by a slave girl."

"She's not a slave."

"She is now." inuyasha's eyes are flat and merciless.

"Before my time is done, King of Kings, I will look down on your corpse and smile." inuyasha turns and leaves the tent.

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there do u like it:D thank u for the review** black rose of death** just a speacial thanks because you have gave me aInspiration to keep on going :) 


	5. Chapter 5

**the Great Battle**

Most of the ships have been hauled onto the beach. Hundreds of soldiers finish digging a long trench in the sand. Pikes are anchored and other fortifications constructed to protect the tents and ships from attack.

In the dying light, the wolves prepare their city for siege. Gray-bearded officers oversee the reinforcement of the main gates. soldiers haul thousands of arrows atop the city walls.

A massive congregation at the Temple of Zeus kneels before the Thunder God's statue while priests burn the bodies of fallen wolf soldiers on tall pypres. The widows keen.

The beach is lit by thousands of torches. The dog demons have transformed the serene beach into a well-fortified camp.

Priam stands by the room's open archway. Beyond the city he sees his beach occupied by the tremendous dog demon force. Koga ,miroku, and several of the wolves leading generals, aristocrats and priests sit around the long table. One of the generals, glaucus, pounds the table with his fist.

"If they want a war, we'll give them a war. I'd match the best of the wolf demons against the best of dog demons any day." velior a big-bellied nobleman, shakes his head

"The best ofthis landoutnumber the best of the dogs, two to one."

"So what do you suggest, we surrender the city, let the dogs slaughter our men and rape our wives?" Velior looks at miroku until the prince returns his gaze.

"I suggest diplomacy. The dog demon came here for one thing. Let's be honest, my friends. wolves are burning on the pyre right now because of one youthful indiscretion." Miroku looks away from Velior.

"Glaucus, you've fought with me for forty years. Can we win this war?"

"Our walls have never been breached. Our archers are the best in the world. And we have koga. His men would fight the shades of Tartarus if he commanded. We can win. Archeptolemus, High Priest of the wolves, wearing a long white robe embroidered with gold thread, now raises his voice.

"I spoke with two farmers today. They saw an eagle flying with a serpent clutched in its talons. This is a sign from Apollo. We will win a great victory tomorrow. The wolves are the eagle. The dogs…"

"Bird signs! You want to plan our strategy based on bird signs?" koga shouted

"koga. Show respect. When Archeptolemus prophesied four years of drought, we dug deeper wells. The drought came and we had water to drink. The high priest is a servant of the gods."

"And I'm a servant of the wolf tribe I've always honoured the gods, father. You know that. But today I fought with a dog demon who desecrated the statue of Apollo. Apollo didn't strike the man down. The gods won't fight this war for us."

"There won't be a war." themiroku said standing up "This is not a conflict of nations. It's a dispute between two men. And I don't want to see another wolf die because of me."

"miroku.." the king tired to speak but was cut off.

"Tomorrow morning I will challenge naraku for the right to sango. The winner will take her home. The loser will burn before nightfall. And with that miroku leaves the room. The others sit in stunned silence

"Does he have a chance?" Glacus Everyone looks at koga, who meditates before answering.

"I want our army outside the gate in the morning. The dog demon king won't let this war end with a duel."

Priam's gardens are wondrous, palm trees grow in the courtyard; flowered vines climb the walls; Aeolian harps chime in the breeze. Priam and miroku sitting on a bench, facing a statue of Aphrodite. The king holds a cloth-wrapped bundle in his lap.

"Father, I... I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. I …"

"Do you love her?"

miroku looks up at the statue of Aphrodite

"You're a great king because you love your country so much. Every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every rock in the river …you love all of our land. That's the way I love sango." Priam nods and contemplates the goddess of beauty.

"I've fought many wars in my time. Some were fought for land, some for power, some for glory. I suppose fighting for love makes more sense than all the rest." miroku says nothing, but his father's words seem to relieve a great burden from his shoulders.

"But I won't be the one fighting." He hands miroku the bundle. miroku, curious, begins unwrapping the cloth. Finally the object is uncovered, a shining sword, expertly forged, inscribed with the seal of wolves.

"the sword of the wolves…"

"My father carried this sword, and his father before him, all the way back to the founding of our land. The history of our people was written with this sword. Carry it with you tomorrow." miroku holds the sword up and it glows in the moonlight

"The spirit of the wolves is in that sword. As long as a wolf demon carries it, our people have a future."

"koga sits on the bed beside ayame, who nurses their baby boy."

koga looks exhausted. He stares at his son.

"He has no idea what's happening."

"thank the gods."

"The man who through a spear at ginta outside Apollo's temple …I've never seen a spear thrown like that. An impossible throw." A long beat until Ayame breaks the silence.

"kagome was in Apollo's temple this morning." koga stares at ayame.

"Are you sure?" She nods, swallows hard, and closes her eyes. After a moment Ayame, his eyes full of sorrow, koga runs his hand through her long hair.

"I need to see my brother"

"don't go"

"I need to speak with him"

"I mean tomorrow. Don't go. You've fought enough. Let other men go out there."

"You think I want to fight, my love? I want to see my son grow tall. I want to see the girls chasing after him."

"Just like they chased his father?"

"He's much more handsome than I ever was."

For a moment they sit quietly, watching their son.

"I lost seven brothers in the Wars. You'd think I'd be good at losing by now. I can't lose you. I won't survive. koga stares at her before pulling her close and kissing her. Everything is in there kiss, their entire past. ayame finally lets him go and koga walks out the door.

As koga walks to miroku's room, he spies someone in a dark cloak sneaking down the candle-lit hallway… "an assassin?"

"Wait!" The cloaked figure looks back and then runs. koga chases. The fugitive runs through the archway at the end of the corridor and into the garden.

koga runs into the garden. He's far faster. He seizes his quarry and pulls aside the fugitive's cowl. It's sango.

"sango?" By the light of the moon he examines her face. The stress of recent weeks has taken its toll, but the shadows beneath her eyes make her face more compelling than ever. Embarrassed by the awkwardness of their position, koga stands and helps sango to her feet.

"what are you doing out?"

sango runs. koga catches her again after a few strides.

"let me go"

"Where?" sango struggles against koga's grip, but it's useless.

"Let me go!" sango, still struggling, begins to cry. koga pulls her to his chest. She cries for real now, violently sobbing, her mouth muffled against koga's body.

"shh shh"

"I saw them burn. I saw them burning on the pyres…It's my fault."

"no"

"It is. You know it is. All those widows. I still hear them screaming." sango takes a deep breath. She manages to control herself.

"Their husbands died because I'm here." koga can't deny this. sango pushes herself out of his grip.

"I'm going down to the ships."

"No. You're not."

"I'll give myself back to the dog king. He can do what he wants …kill me, make me his slave. Anything's better than this."

"It's too late for that. You think naraku cares about his brother's marriage? This is about power. Not love."

"miroku is going to fight in the morning." sango said looking at him.

"Yes"

"naraku will kill him" koga looks away, the words hurting him.

"I wont let it happen" sango said.

"It's his decision."

"No. No. I can't ask anyone to fight for me. I'm no longer queen." koga bows to sango and kisses her hand.

"You're a princess of the wolves. And my brother needs you tonight. Sango stares at koga in wonder. The words seem to bolster her spirit, and she smiles though her eyes are still wet. She nods, touches his arm and goes back to the palace.

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**thank u for the reviews ! im so happy !thank u so much!**

**well do u want more inuyasha? haha o and i know alot because i reaserch on it :D**

well just another thanks for the reviews iam out! o and tell me if u want more haha

**have u guys seen the notebook! i love that showtear im thinking of making a story on it! tell me what u think**


	6. Chapter 6

**the Great Battle**

Up and down the beach thousands of dog demon warriors prepare for battle. Despite their vast numbers, the men are oddly quiet, each absorbed with his own thoughts.

One warrior prays with eyes closed, mumbling the words, kneeling in the sand. A second man inspects each arrowhead in his quiver. A third sits in the sand, snapping seashells.

Inuyasha sits cross-legged, arms held straight out in front of him, palms up. His sword is balanced on his palms. shippo and Eudorus, armoured for battle, enter the tent. inuyasha does not look away from his blade. Though the sword must be heavy, his arms do not tremble.

"My lord? The army is marching."

"Let them march. We stay."

"But the men"

inuyasha turns to glare at him and Eudorus falters.

"the men are ready"

"the dog king spat on my honour yesterday. I promised that girl her safety and he stole her from me. Let him fight the wolves today. Eudorus and shippo exchange glances. Eudorus bows to inuyasha and exits the tent. shippo remains behind.

"When I was very small I saw my father kill a man with his bare hands." shippo doesn't know how to respond.

"There's so much blood in a human body." inuyasha flips the sword in the air and catches it by the hilt. He examines the edge.

"You're ready to fight, shippo?"

"I am"

inuyasha rests his sword on the ground. He stares at shippo for a moment before speaking.

"You're ready to kill?" shippo hesitates.

"At night I see their faces. All the men I've killed. I see them standing on the far bank of the River Styx. They're waiting for me." shippo stands absolutely still. He's never heard his cousin speak this way before.

"Some nights I walk among them. When I wake I can still hear their words. They say, "Welcome, brother."" inuyasha inspects the knuckles of his fist.

"Never hate the men you fight. All of us are mortals. All of us, wretched things, tumbled crying from our mother's loins. Only the gods are free from sorrows."

"I hate no one, cousin."

"Good. I taught you how to fight. But I never taught you why to fight."

"I fight for you"

"And who will you follow when I'm gone?"

shippo hesitates, unsure how to answer.

"Most soldiers battle for kings they've never met. They do what they're told; they die when they're told to die."

"Soldiers obey" shippo said.

"We don't have much time to walk in the sun, shippo. After this life comes the underworld, an eternity telling stories to other shades. Don't tell them you died following some fool's orders."

"And what should I tell them?"

"Tell them your name. If your life has been worthy, they'll know the rest."

One thousand archers stand in various positions on the broad city walls, quivers of arrows by their sides. Wolf citizens also crowd atop the walls, quiet and sober. Priam sits in a grandstand beneath a blue canopy. Seated by him are city leaders, including Velius and Archeptolemus. Sango stands apart from everyone else. No one is overtly hostile to her, but behind her back people stare and whisper.

"Below the walls, on the broad field that stretches down from the city gates, the wolf army has amassed. In the front, koga and General Glaucus sit astride their horses. The soldiers are disciplined and well-outfitted, arranged in tight formation. Miroku rides out to join koga. koga examines miroku's face.

"are you sure you want to do this?"

"I started this war." miroku searches the faces atop the city wall. He finds sango. The wind is blowing hard, ruffling her cloak, her hair. There is love in her eyes, and fear and exhaustion. miroku stares up at her for a long time before turning away. A low, ominous rumble grows steadily louder. koga hears it first. He looks down the vast sloping field toward the sea. Now the other soldiers hear it, and then the citizens atop the walls. All speech ceases. The wolves quietly wait. The rumbling resolves into the steady beat of war drums.

And now we see them, fifty thousand dog demons. The reflection of sunlight off fifty thousand bronze shields, fifty thousand bronze helmets and chest plates, is spectacular the army looks like a river of lava, flowing uphill.

The wolf soldiers don't quiver or waver, but the expressions on their faces betray their anxiety. The dog demon army is more than twice the size of the wolf army.

The citizens shield their eyes from the brightness. They exhibit their nervousness more openly than the soldiers. One old woman moans softly, her hand over her mouth.

Shippo, Eudorus, and the rest of the Myrmidons climb to the top of a tall bluff near the beach. From here they can see the broad battlefield a mile away.

The dog demon army halts just beyond arrow range. A delegation of kings the dog king, Nestor, Menelaus, shessomaru, and Ajax on chariots proceeds to the center of the battlefield. shessomaru looks over his shoulder and then yells to Ajax.

"Where's inuyasha? Ajax looks around and shrugs."

"naraku is a bull. He'll charge you. miroku nods."

"He's stronger than you, so try not to fight him up close. Keep your distance. Use your quickness." miroku leans over and tries to spit, but his mouth is too dry.

"Brother?" Miroku, his face ashen, looks at koga.

"you don't have to do this."

"miroku shakes his head and continues riding toward naraku."

"sango, alone, views the battlefield. An old, spotted hand takes her elbow. She turns and looks into Priam's eyes."

"Sit with me." sango follows the king to his grandstand and sits beside him. She's aware of people staring at them but he seems oblivious.

"All my life I've prayed against this day."

"yes, my king"

"Call me father, dear child." Startled by this affection, she hesitates before responding..

"Forgive me, father. For…" She pauses, staring out at the vast dog demon army.

"...bringing this." Priam shakes his head and smiles sadly.

"I blame you for nothing. Everything is in the hands of the gods. Besides, how could I blame anyone for falling in love with miroku?" sango looks out at the battlefield, fixing on miroku, at this distance a tiny figure on horseback. Priam takes her hand.

koga and miroku ride up to the dog kings. naraku stares at miroku, his fingers tapping the hilt of his sword. miroku does not make eye contact. The kings step down from their chariots and the wolf princes dismount from their horses. Both armies are lined up several hundred yards apart. The dog king surveys the wolf army.

"I see you're not hiding behind your high walls. Valiant of you. Ill advised, but valiant."

"You come here uninvited. Go back to your ships. Go home."

"We've come too far, Prince koga"

"Prince? These are not princes. What son of a king would accept a man's hospitality, eat his food, drink his wine, and then steal his wife in the middle of the night?" the dog king said.

"The sun was shining when your wife left you.narakudraws his sword. He points it at the city walls." miroku pointed out.

"She's up there watching, isn't she? Good. I want her to watch you die."the dog kingplaces a hand on his brother's arm.

"Not yet, brother." He makes a sweeping gesture, indicating his entire army.

"Look around you, koga. I've brought all the warriors of the dog demons to your shores."

"You can still save your country, young prince."

"I have two wishes. If you grant them, no more of your people need to die. First, give sango back to my brother. Second, your tribe must submit to my command, to fight for me whenever I call."

"You want me to look upon your army and tremble. Well, I see them. I see fifty thousand men brought here to fight for one man's greed."

"Be careful, boy. My mercy has limits."

"I've seen the limits of your mercy. And I tell you now that no son of the wolf tribe will ever submit to a foreign ruler."

"then every song of the wolf tribe shall die"

"There is another way."

Everyone watches miroku now.

"I love sango. I won't give her up. And neither will you. So let's fight our own battle. Let the winner take sango home, and that will be the end of it."

"A brave offer. But not enough. naraku pulls the dog king aside and speaks to him out of the others' earshot.

"Let me kill this little peacock."

"I didn't come here for your pretty wife. I came for your country."

"And I came for my honour. His every breath insults me. Let me kill him. When he's lying in the dust, give the signal to attack. I'll have my revenge and you'll have your city" The dog king ponders the offer. He nods. They rejoin the others.

"I accept your challenge. And tonight I'll drink to your bones."

miroku walks over to his chariot and grabs his shield. koga helps miroku into his helmet and speaks quietly to him.

"He doesn't have the stamina he once did. Make him swing and miss. He'll tire." miroku nods. He turns towardnaraku but quickly turns back and grabs koga's arm.

"koga!" koga waits. miroku opens his mouth but no words come out. He tries again.

"If I fall…tell sango…tell her…"

"I will"

"Don't let the dog king hurt her. Make him swear …"

"Think about your sword and his sword. Nothing else"

koga hugs him close for a moment and releases him. miroku walks toward the center of the field, where naraku waits.

It's difficult to see from inside your bronze helmet. Your peripheral vision is severely restricted, and the nose guard bisects your vision. Your breathing sounds amplified, impossibly loud and half- panicked. But there's no turning back. naraku stands in the center of the vast battlefield, patient and menacing, carving the air with lazy strokes of his sword. You look back and see koga. koga nods, trying to encourage you, but he looks worried. Behind koga is the wolf army, twenty-five thousand silent wolves. Behind the army is your city Atop those walls, beneath that blue canopy, your father is watching, and the woman you love. You turn back to naraku. He's smiling at you.

naraku charges at miroku and swings mightily, trying to knock the prince's head from his shoulders. miroku manages to duck beneath the flashing blade. Naraku fights with little art and great savagery, exploiting his superior strength. but miroku is quicker. He nearly surprises the bigger man with a fast sword thrust, but naraku dominates the fight, hammering miroku's shield with a furious barrage of blows. miroku steps away and tries another thrust, but this time naraku sidesteps and smashes miroku in the jaw with the hilt of his sword, knocking the prince's helmet off. miroku falls, blood leaking from his nose and mouth. koga, frustrated and powerless to help, tries to will his brother to victory.

"get up. Get up" koga said under his breath.

Ajax and shessomaru, standing together, watch the bloodied prince. Ajax looks disgusted, shessomaru amused.

"This is the prince of the wolves? In Salamis, the women fight better" Ajax said

"But they're not as pretty" shessomaru said

sango, unable to sit, now stands at the wall, watching her lover battle her husband. Priam stands beside her.

shippo and the other Myrmidons watch the battle.

"naraku still knows how to fight."eudorus said.

naraku swings at the fallen prince but miroku is able to block the blow with his shield and scramble to his feet. Naraku points to the sky. Three crows circle above.

You see the crows? They've never tasted a prince before. The dogs mind games are working miroku wears the face of a man who doesn't want to fight. He swings clumsily and naraku manages to catch his wrist. The demon grins and raises his sword for the kill. miroku lashes out with his free hand, punching the demon hard in the jaw. Naraku grunts and shoves the boy away. He spits out a tooth. He's no longer smiling.

Shessomaru and Ajax exchange a quick look not bad.

But naraku bores in again, blow after blow. Finally his blade bites into miroku's thigh. miroku staggers backward, blood flowing down his leg. He swings desperately but naraku parries, knocking the sword from miroku's hand. Miroku stares at his fallen sword, five feet away. And runs. Naraku snarls at his movement and chases after him.

The citizens seem shocked that their prince and hero would flee before a demon assailant. They look at each other and whisper, glancing at Priam, curious to see his reaction.

"Fight him, son. Fight him."

sango stares at the battlefield, her face unreadable.

miroku runs to koga, gasping for breath, the blood pouring down his face and leg. He falls to his knees before his older brother. Koga stares at miroku and then at naraku, who has stopped seven feet from the princes.

"Fight me, you coward! Fight me!" miroku, unable to look at either man or speak, trembles by his brother's side. koga, completely at a loss, lays his hand on miroku's head.

"We have a pact. Fight!"

the dog demon signals for the driver of his chariot.

"The wolves have violated the agreement. We march"

The driver nods. The dog king hops onto the chariot and they ride toward the army to deliver the orders.

koga looks from his brother to the enraged naraku.

This is not honour. This is not worthy of royalty. Koga looks at his brother but miroku is not looking at anybody. He gasps for breath, the blood streaming from his wounds. Koga glances at the dog demon army, then back to miroku.

"If he doesn't fight, your country is doomed."

"miroku." miroku shakes his head, blood dripping from his nose.

"no..no"

"The fight is over." koga said to naraku

"The fight is not over. Stand back, Prince koga." koga stares at the king, judging his intentions.

"I'll kill him at your feet. I don't care."

"He's my brother." naraku charges, sword raised overhead. In one motion koga draws his own sword and plunges the point through naraku's breastplate. Naraku's momentum carries him forward, until his breastplate touches the hilt of koga's sword.

Naraku's, eyes wide open, stares down at the blood which now begins rushing down his armour. He looks up at koga. koga pulls his blade out. And naraku falls to the ground.

The dog king standing on his chariot in front of his army, sees his brother fall. For a moment the vast field is silent. The dog king shouts . A wordless cry of rage, echoing from the dog demon lines to the walls of the wolfs. He points towards koga. The entire dog demon army surges forward. Hollering with a collective violence powerful enough to make the ground tremble, fifty thousand soldiers charge at koga.

koga sees them coming. The ground he stands on trembles with the concussive force of the demons feet and horses' hooves.

"Miroku." miroku still seems to be in a state of shock.

"Get up! Get up." The avalanche of demon infantry is getting closer. Miroku finally gets to his feet but runs in the wrong direction, toward the demons.

"Miroku!" What seems to be a sprint to suicide turns out to be something different, miroku grabs the fallen sword of the wolves from the ground, dangerously close to the charging demons. He turns and dashes back to koga. The princes mount.

The dog demons are almost upon them. Brandishing their spears and screaming their war cries, all of them vie for the glory of felling the wolf princes. The closest dog demons launch their spears. One whistles by koga's ear. He spurs his horse. The princes gallop toward the city.

Shessomaru watches this chase with trepidation.

"our men are to close to the walls."

Glaucus the wolf general, sees that the princes have gained some distance from their pursuers. He calls to an officer standing on the city wall.

"archers!" glacus yelled.

shippo turns and sees inuyasha, standing on a high rock behind the other Myrmidons. and doesn't know how long inuyasha has been watching the battle.

"pull back you fool"

The dog demon army continues to charge at full speed. One thousand wolf archers notch their arrows and pull back their catgut strings.

"Now!" One thousand arrows soar into the air, a deadly swarm of hornets that rises toward the clouds before descending on the charging dog demons.

Hundreds of dog demons fall. The wolf archers let loose another swarm of arrows. The arrows fall with a great hiss. Many find their mark, biting into the throats and faces of the dog demons. The dogs army, so overwhelming seconds ago, is now struck with chaos. The men in the front turn back, realizing they've become targets, while the men in back still push forward. In this confusion of foot traffic the arrows continue to fall, a rainstorm of bronze. The dog king, standing on his chariot in the middle of his frenzied troops, tries to maintain order, but his shouts go unheard above the general roar. The driver of his chariot falls, an arrow through his neck. The dog king grabs the reins and tries to steer the chariot, but so many men are running about, so many bodies litter the ground, that maneuvering is extremely difficult.

Koga and miroku have reached the city walls, where Glaucus and the army wait for them. koga grabs miroku's arm.

"Get inside the city." He slaps miroku's horse. Miroku's, head bowed, rides away. koga turns to his army. He shouts to them at the top of his lungs.

The commander of the dog demon's wants the wolf army to fight for him! The wolf mood becomes more and more bellicose

"Would any man here like to fight for the dog king?"

"NO!" the wolf demons yell.

koga raises his sword and points it at the dog demons, who retreat from the arrow fusillade in disarray.

"for THE WOLVES!"

"FOR THE WOLVES!" all the warrories yell and run into battle

The wolves charge. koga, on horseback, reaches the dog demons first. His sword cuts down everyone within reach. The wolves infantry attacks the dog demons, whose line has been broken by the rain of arrows. The wolves take advantage of their enemies' panic. Koga's plan has succeeded.

inuyasha is unable to stand still. His fingers twitch as he watches the battle; he paces back and forth and curses. shippo and the Myrmidons avoid looking at their leader.

"Get them in line... get them in line…"

shessomaru, meanwhile, works to reorganize the troops.

"Selepius! Bring your men back into line!" Ajax, standing nearby, sees koga chopping his way through the demons. Ajax runs at koga. Two wolf soldiers try to intercept Ajax. The mighty dog demon swings his huge battle axe. The blade cuts clean through the first soldier's arm and halfway through his torso. The second soldier hacks at Ajax but the big man blocks the sword with his shield and then uses the shield to ram the soldier's face. Blood sprays from the wolves crushed skull. Both soldiers fall dead to the ground. koga, battling a dog demon Infantryman, doesn't see Ajax coming. Ajax grabs koga's horse's bridle and tugs hard, the veins in his arms bulging beneath the skin.

The horse tries to buck but Ajax twists the horse's head till it falls. koga falls with the horse, tumbling to the dirt. The demon infantryman he had been fighting stabs at him.

koga rolls away and manages while flat on his back to swing his sword, chopping off the infantryman's feet just above the ankles. The infantryman screams and falls. Ajax releases the horse, raises his axe, and swings at the fallen koga. The prince gets his shield up just in time. Ajax's axe cleaves through the shield, splitting the bronze into two even halves. Koga stares at the halved shield, discards it, and jumps to his feet. The two fighters circle each other while thousands of soldiers around them battle to the death.

"So you're the best of the wolves?" koga, looking for an opening in the brute's defenses, says nothing. Ajax charges, swinging his battle axe. koga ducks below the axe and lunges forward with his sword, but Ajax quick despite his size sidesteps, grabs the smaller man in a bear hug and squeezes. koga turns red. The sword falls from koga's hand. Ajax grins. koga slams his helmeted head forward, butting Ajax in the face. Ajax staggers back, blood spraying from his nose, his axe falling to the ground. Koga struggles to regain his equilibrium. Ajax growls and launches himself at the prince. koga snatches a spear off the ground and positions it just as Ajax dives at him. The spear pierces Ajax's armor, driving through his belly and out his back. koga holds the shaft steady. Ajax stares down at his wound. He seems more irritated than anything else. Ajax places his two big hands on the spear shaft, right where the spear enters his body. He breaks the spear in two, snapping the solid wood like a twig. Half a spear still sticking out his back, Ajax swings the shaft, clobbering koga in the side of the head, sending the horsehair-plumed helmet flying.

koga, dazed, falls to one knee. Ajax whacks him again on the back of his neck. koga crawls forward blindly. His hands brush over the blade of his dropped sword. koga springs up, driving his sword into Ajax's gut, just below the big man's breast plate. koga withdraws his sword. Both men see the ground drenched with Ajax's blood. Ajax backhands koga with the broken spear shaft, cracking the prince in the jaw and dropping him again. Ajax grabs koga, hoists him upright and begins throttling the prince. Ajax spits a great wad of blood and smiles, teeth washed red. koga tries to kick at Ajax, but Ajax's thumbs dig deeper and deeper into koga's throat. Koga's eyelids begin to flutter as he chokes. But the king has lost too much blood. He sinks slowly to his knees. koga is forced to his knees as well. Finally Ajax's eyes roll back. He topples onto koga, hands still locked on the prince's throat. koga undoes the death grip. He squirms out from under Ajax's corpse and stands.

Shippo and the Myrmidons watch Ajax fall with disbelief. inuyasha cannot bear to watch any longer. He walks away. None of his men dare look at him.

The wolves are routing the dog demons. With two of their kings already fallen, the dog demons force is in disarray. shessomaru sees the dog king speeding by on his chariot. and shessomaru runs and manages to leap onto the chariot. The two kings shout at each other above the commotion of battle.

"We need to retreat!" The dog king surveys the battlefield and his battered forces.

"My army has never lost a battle."

"If we don't fall back you won't have an army!" The dog king seems dazed by the turn of events. Finally shessomaru hollers to whichever captains can hear his voice.

"Back to the ships! Back to the ships!" The captains take up this cry, shouting orders to their men. The dogs retreat. The wolf soldiers give a mighty shout as they pursue their enemies.

The people cheer. Nobles and commoners embrace as brothers.

koga, still on foot, leads his men as they chase down the fleeing dog demon's. Several thousand dog demons have fallen.

The dog demons get back to their trenches, the bulk of the force still intact. archers in the dog demons rear guard, manning the trenches, now raise their bows and prepare to fire. koga, eager to avoid the mistakes his dog demon counterparts made earlier, holds up his hands and bellows to the troops.

"Halt!" The wolf army stops just outside the dog demons archers' range. Lysander, the wolf captain, stands beside koga.

"we have them on the run, my prince"

"We're almost in range of their archers. You saw what our arrows did to them. Have the men gather our fallen. When they're done, send an emissary to the dog demons. They can collect their dead without fear of assault"

"Would they have done the same for us?"

"Of course not. That's why our country is worth defending." koga turns and heads back to the white city.

Thousands of bodies litter the broad field., their bronze armor gleaming in the failing sunlight. The living haul the dead from the battlefield. horses are used to pull wagonloads of bodies. Fathers or sons or brothers or friends say their goodbyes and wash the dead men with washcloths and buckets of water. The sun sinks into the ocean. Both sides build funeral pyres for their fallen. When a body is loaded onto the pyre, a relative or friend places two coins on the dead man's eyes. Dozens of dog demons view Ajax's body. They weep as they pass by, each man kneeling to kiss their fallen king's hand.

The dog king stands before the body of naraku.

He places two coins on naraku's eyes. He steps down from the pyre, accepts a torch from a captain, and sets the pyre on fire.

"I will burn their city before I leave, brother. I promise you that. As the sky grows dark, the dead burn on the beach and inside the walls of the wolves.

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ok this chapter is really long so be happy! haha will you guys love me for this? i hope so ...thank you everyone for the reviews i really appreciate them all. see you soon! 


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